Justice Kagan worried that we therefore should outlaw marriage among the elderly. Cooper, not at the top of his game, replied that men can procreate at an extremely old age. Justice Kagan had to point out that if the woman was over 55 there was not much chance she could have a child. Using a little bit of common sense might have helped Charles Cooper recall the word “menopause.”

Now, using a little common sense one might realize that as the GOP tries to win over more Latino voters, they not only have to change on the substance of what they have stood for, but also on the way they express themselves.

Joining a long line of buffoonish statements made by GOP politicians over the last few years is this little beauty by Republican Representative Don Young from Alaska who said that his dad used to hire “50 to 60 wetbacks.”

Young’s use of this offensive term for illegal immigrants, who used to be accused of swimming across the Rio Grande River to get into the USA - thus arriving with wet backs, set off a firestorm in the Latino community. To their credit, Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner and Arizona Republican Senator John McCain immediately called on Young to apologize.

Too bad, we don’t have more Republicans around today like Dwight D. Eisenhower. I just finished the book, “Ike’s Bluff” by Evan Thomas. There was a man who used common sense to lead the D-Day invasion, keep us out of nuclear war, and warn us about the military-industrial complex.

It seems to me that it is also common sense to oppose the sequester caused 10.7 percent cut in unemployment benefits for 2,000,000 people nationwide and 200,000 people in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The unemployed tend to spend their money immediately which increases demand for goods and services. This demand stimulates our economy, creates more jumps, and helps to reduce the amount of money we have to pay out because there will be fewer unemployed seeking benefits. Well, once again, common sense is not so common.

Meanwhile, economic leaders in the Republican Party and in Europe are pushing austerity programs which cut back government spending. This is a good idea when the private sector is humming along, but when it is struggling government spending replaces private spending. This keeps people employed. Right now is the absolute wrong time to push government “belt-tightening” in the USA and Europe. But you know the mantra, “Common sense is not so… etc.”

It also seems like common sense to me to know what you are talking about before you oppose something. For example, most people still do oppose the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). However, most polls show that people don’t understand how it works. When it is broken down into its individuals parts (young people can be carried on their parents policies up to age 26, starting in 2014 people with pre-existing conditions can’t be denied insurance, etc.) the majority of people approve the individual parts of Obamacare. Of course, the reason you have so much confusion among the public is because you have many right wing politicians spreading disinformation about Obamacare.

Sarah Palin is an example of the above. It seems like common sense to me to not go around bad-mouthing Obamacare for having “death panels” when it has no such thing. However, Sarah Palin has made millions of dollars spouting this type of nonsense, which scares people into opposing the Affordable Care Act.

Common sense would dictate that when 30 percent of the adults in Texas don’t have medical insurance you should accept the federal government’s money, which would help cover them for three years at no expense to the state. Well, don’t tell Texas governor, Rick “Oops” Perry, this. He wants nothing to do with Obamacare. I assume this is so that he can use this as a talking point if he makes another farcical attempt at running for President in 2016.

This is not even to mention Governor Corbett’s refusal to accept federal money to expand Medicaid coverage in Pennsylvania, which would help people next year when they are required to purchase health insurance. But once again, common sense, is unfortunately, not so common among some politicians.

Contact Tom Lees, a longtime area resident and educator, at tlees2@aol.com.